This invention relates to a method and apparatus for processing coded image data, and particularly to a method and apparatus for processing coded image data including a plurality of different types of documents to be classified.
The publication, JP-A-61-248169, disclosed an image processing apparatus wherein picture information is divided by use of a predetermined pattern.
Recently, a large-capacity electronic image filing system has been widely used for document management.
When documents are registered in this electronic image filing system, the image data of documents are read in by use of image reading input means such as a scanner. When a plurality of documents which are desired to be classified and managed are registered together, a manuscript (hereinafter, referred to as a separator sheet) having a predetermined image pattern (hereinafter, referred to as a separator pattern) is inserted between the documents of different kinds, and the plurality of documents with the separator sheets inserted are continuously read in by such an image information processor as disclosed in JP-A-61-248169. At this time, the image information processor detects the separator pattern and assigns different management information to the documents before and after the separator sheet, so that the respective document image data can be classified and registered in the electronic image filing system.
When document image data are read in through a facsimile and registered in the electronic image filing system, the document image data are coded (compressed) by the system MH, MR, MMR or the like. When the read image is compressed by a compression-type scanner, the document image data are also coded. In addition, the document image data which are fed from a remote place through a communication network are also coded.
In the image information processor disclosed in the JP-A-61-248169, however, the separator pattern cannot be immediately detected from the coded document image data, and thus the coded document image data must be decoded before the separator pattern is detected. Therefore, the processing time becomes long.